Mother Nature finally smiles on Midland with needed rain

James CannonMidland Reporter-Telegram

Published 6:05 pm, Thursday, August 11, 2011

Photo: Cindeka Nealy/Reporter-Telegram

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Members of the RockHounds staff battle the wind as they try to lay a tarp over the infield to protect it from the rain Thursday at Citibank Ballpark. The RockHounds will play the Tulsa Drillers in a doubleheader today to make up Thursday's game that was canceled because of the weather. less

Members of the RockHounds staff battle the wind as they try to lay a tarp over the infield to protect it from the rain Thursday at Citibank Ballpark. The RockHounds will play the Tulsa Drillers in a ... more

Photo: Cindeka Nealy/Reporter-Telegram

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Kevin Leoffler is one of only a handful of fans who stayed in their seats to enjoy the rain Thursday at Citibank Ballpark. The RockHounds will play the Tulsa Drillers in a doubleheader today to make up Thursday night's game that was canceled because the weather. less

Kevin Leoffler is one of only a handful of fans who stayed in their seats to enjoy the rain Thursday at Citibank Ballpark. The RockHounds will play the Tulsa Drillers in a doubleheader today to make up Thursday ... more

Photo: Cindeka Nealy/Reporter-Telergam

Mother Nature finally smiles on Midland with needed rain

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Receiving twice as much of rain Thursday as it had in the previous 319 days, Midland got much-needed relief from the worst drought in the city's history.

The National Weather Service at Midland International Airport reported 0.37 inches of rain, exactly double the amount of measurable rain going back to Sept. 25, 2010.

The record will show Midland trailed other parts of Permian Basin in terms of total rain. Officials at the National Weather Service said more rain fell west of Midland, centered mostly in West Ector County and further north. Still, the rainfall in Midland County was enough to flood downtown streets and postpone the Midland RockHounds baseball game. The RockHounds will play a doubleheader today, beginning at 5 p.m. It also will go down as the first time since that late September day that more than 0.1 inches of rain fell in Midland in one day.

Rain totals across Midland showed inconsistent totals. The most -- 0.64 inches -- came from a rain gauge near downtown. Other reports included 0.15 inches at Midland Airpark and 0.10 in West Midland.

Coincidentally, Midland had recorded the 52nd day of 100-degree temperatures. The total ties the record for most 100-degree days in one year in the city's history.

An upper level ridge system had prevented rainfall in the region, until it began to dissipate earlier this week, said Michelle Schuldt, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service near the airport.

Between the breakdown of the ridge system, a cold front in the Texas Panhandle and a larger amount of moisture in the air, the conditions were prime for rainfall, she said.

Schuldt added there was a chance of more rain in the early morning hours today, as well as a possibility of rain tonight into Saturday morning.

Emergency dispatchers received multiple calls for flooding and pole fires. Motorists downtown were driving well below the speed limit with flashers on while driving through some of the more flooded areas around Big Spring Street and the nearby intersections.

Gusts at Midland International Airport reached 47 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

"We've had several calls of trees blowing into power lines causing fires," Battalion Chief Chad Clark told the Reporter-Telegram Thursday night. As of 8:30 p.m. Thursday, the Midland Fire Department had received at least seven pole fire calls.

Clark added that there were no significant injuries or damages reported, as of press time Thursday night. His biggest concern, he said, was lightning hitting a house or causing a severe fire.

Around 9 p.m. Thursday, a little fewer than 400 residences and businesses in Midland were out of power, mostly centered in the central, west and north portions of the city. Odessa experienced more than 1,000 without power due to the thunderstorm, said Sue Mercer, ONCOR Electric delivery area manager.

The rain might continue in the coming days because there is a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms through Saturday night, according to the NWS forecast.

Despite the much-needed rain, it is a drop in the bucket. Even with the 0.36 inches of rain Thursday, Midland is still about 8 inches below the yearly average. It also likely will not affect the lakes and reservoirs the region depends on for water because the shower system dissipated as it moved east, according to the NWS.

As of Monday, the two main reservoirs -- E.V. Spence and O. H. Ivie -- were at 0.56 percent and 22.83 percent capacity, according to the Colorado River Municipal Water District..

Regardless, Midlanders undoubtedly will be pleased with the rain, however brief.